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CORRESPONDENCE. W*  aunot  be  aoawerable  for  tba  opinion!  of  our eorreapondentt. Contribution! will be received at the  AdvertiserOffice, or at  Mr.  Pepperday’i,  under  cover  to the  “ Editor  of the Meteor. Any Old Rugbeian can have the  Meteor forwarded to him regularly, on application to Mesari,  Tait and   Sons . To  the Editor  of the Meteor. M These haughty dunces, whose unlearned pen Could ne'er spell grammar, would be reading men." Sib,— I was at first very doubtful whether, such  a  long  time  having  elapsed  since “ A. H.  St. Y ’s”  last letter, I  should  again trouble you and your readers by reviving the now wearisome  discussion  on the  hat.   But on reading his  letter a  second time,  I found that,  injustice  to  myself, I  could  not  keep silence.   He has brought  numerous  accusa­ tions  against  me,  which  are  certainly  un­ founded.    Without   commenting  on  the reasons which induced him to  bring forward these charges,  or expressing any  opinion  on the good taste displayed in so doing, I will at once proceed  to refute  some of the  most im­ portant of them. ** A. H.  St.  V . ”  laments  my  not  offering any  practical  suggestion.   I  never  intended to  oner  any;  I  only  wished  to  show  the argument  he  employed  was  not  quite  un­ answerable,  and  that  something  might  be said  on  the  other  side. as  well  as  on  his. Wishing the matter to rest as it  now does,  I do not see why I should offer any  “ practical suggestion.”   “ A.  H.  St. V .” also asks why I did not condesoend to defend the objections raised  against  the  abolition  of  the  “ hat.” Simply because the objections he stated were not the ones I considered most likely to  hold ground.   They  were  objections  of  his  own coining,  and  I  really  am  not  prepared  to defend  objections,  which  I do not  recognise as such.   As to my  “ wilful mis-statement,” I stated the discomfort attendant on a  hat to be small, partly from experience, partly from the opinions expressed by those who are com­ petent judges,— I  mean those who at present wear the hat.   In no part of my letter  can I find  the  argument,  which  he puts  into  my mouth, viz.:  ‘ that  as  the  hat  is  only worn for  a short time  it should  always be worn.” I have never come to such a conclusion either in writing or imagination.   Sir,  I am  afraid I am hardly  justified  in  sending  this  letter, which  is  only  a  defence of  my  own  thick­ headedness.    To  the  Meteor  I  have  not said a word  about  “ Cosmopolitan’s”  letter. But this latter correspondent left me to “ the tender  mercies”  of  “ A .  H.  St. V .,”  and quietly  hinted  that I should  remember  the proverb “  Ne sutor supra crepidam."    I. know I am a poor advocate of an  unpopular cause, but I could not allow the matter to be decided hastily,  as  once it promised  to be,  without raising my feeble voice.   For the  settlement of the question will  establish a precedent, by indicating which, many of the  existing insti­ tutions of the School may be altered  or over­ thrown.   One word more.   Whatever we do, above all things,  do not let  us allow the dis­ cussion to drop into a mere  exchange of per­ sonalities.   If we do, it will bring ridicule on ourselves and our cause.   “ A. H.  St.  V .,”  I am  afraid,  lost  sight  of this  subject in  his anxiety to show  me  forth in  as ridiculous  a light as possible.   If he wants a  vent for his feelings let him find it, not in anathematising “ Utter Fools,” but in dreaming of that golden age,  when the  form  -will  be  gorgeous  with white  waistcoats,  redolent  with  flowers; when the  newest of new boys has  his white straw  sent  up,  from  some  future  Pearce’s, wrapped  up in  these pages,  which  contain the  imbecile,  and, I am  afraid,  futile  rumb­ lings of AN  UTTER  FOOL. P.S.— I have not sent my right name, as it is the  football  season,  and  the new  fellows are, more than usually,  numerous,  and some very  big.   I  have  also  omitted  taking any notice  of  “ A.  H.  St.  Y ’s.”  postcript;  but you yourself, sir,  so  exposed its weak  points that it is needless for me to say a word more about it.   And the fewer words said about it the better. To  the  Editor  of the  Meteor. October,  1867. Sib,—You  kindly  devoted  3|  columns to our Hat-complaint in the  last  number  of the  Meteor:   It was an  article  calculated  to amuse, to instruct  (vide  the  quotations),  to impress;  but  (if  you  will  forgive  me  for saying  so)  not  at  all to convince.   It con­ tained criticism, but no  argument. Briefly, this is our case.   Hats are annoy­ ing to the new boys.   Mere  annoyance does no  good  to  them,  and certainly no good  to others. Which of these statements is false P If they are true, what more is there to say ? Yours, COSMOPOLITAN. 10 THE  METEOR. To the Editor of the Meteor. Sik,— As I live some distance from Rugby,  I  may  perhaps  be  pardoned  for  not  quite  keeping  up  with  the  times.   But  in  my  remote  habitation a  report has  just reached  me which  I  have  for  several  years, in  fact  since  I  left,  been  waiting  anxiously  to  receive.  It is,  Sir, of your appearance; it is,  Sir, that in your person has at  length arisen  a reformer  to  Rugby, a  light  to  shine upon  the dark  places (I fear this  gitasi-joke  must  often have  been made before)  and  to  dispel  whatever darkness hangs about her. Now,  Sir,  it  was  my  fate,  when  I  left  Rugby nearly five years back, to be launched  at once on the broad ocean of life without the  intermediate course of University life,  which  the  greater  number  of  my  school-fellows  used to look forward to.  Nothing struck me  more  when I was free  from  the  atmosphere  of our noble School, than the great difference  between it and the world I entered in respect  of fairness.  At School, as a rule,  I was very  fairly treated :  I  used often to get  licked at  calling-over it is  true,  but  it  was generally  when  I  had  been foremost in scrummaging  and in making a ring; when I was small and  used  to  stand  in  goal  I  used to get kicked  sometimes,  but  then  I  generally  had  my  pockets  full, of  crackers;  when  I  worked I  got out of  my  form ;  when I played  well  I  was allowed  to  follow  up:  certainly Rugby  was very fair.   The other side of the picture,  Sir, you know the world too well to need me  to  paint:  fruitless  labour,  misunderstood  motives, unfair distinctions,  &c.,  &c. Now I am  writing to you, Sir, in order to  protest against a practice which has come to  my ears, and which I hold utterly contrary to  the  spirit  of  fairness of which  I  have been  speaking :  a practice which, if Rugby main­ tains, after thought and deliberation, she must  have  changed  her character since I left.   It  is this, Sir.  Within a few months after I left,  the new racquet-court and  fives-courts  were  opened.  I took great interest in their build­ ing, but as  I  have  said, was  forced to leave  before  they were  completed, and  before the  rules for their use were  fixed  upon.   About  a year ago I had occasion to visit the habita­ ble  world, and  among  other  parts  of  it  I  visited  Rugby.   Of  course  one  of my first  cares was to  inspect  the  new  racquet-court  and fives-courts, and to inquire,  after my in­ spection, into their success, their appreciation  by the School, the  rules  by  which  they are managed.   What  was  my  astonishment  to  find that for a  great many  of the best hours  in the week  they  virtually  belonged  to and  were in the power of one  house!    “ Which house,” I asked, “ plays most at hand-fives ?”  “ O h!  Arnolds’  of  course,”  was  the  reply,  “ they can always  get a court.” Is it not, I  ask  you  Sir, possible to put a  stop to this great injustice ?   Even in my day  I  remember  it  as  a  blot on  the  fairness of  Rugby, that some  Houses had  more  advan­ tage than others  in getting ground for ends.  But  this,  which  I  have  mentioned  above,  seems  to  me  far  worse, far  more  flagrant;  the   number  of  fives   courts  is  smaller,  and  they  are  the  only means of the game;  whereas we  could  always  get ground fairly  enough for our matches. I  found  that  on  half-holidays  the  old  method  of height  in  the  School  was used.  But  it  seems  to  me  Sir,  that  these  half­ holidays— when  cricket,  football,  &c.,  are  going  on—are  by  no  means  so  important  times for fives-courts, as the long spare hours  which much of the  School has  after  dinner  on whole-school days. Let me urge that some  place,  such  as the  white  gate,  be  appointed  from  which  all  must start;  for surely it is fairer that a fellow  should  have  a court  because he  is the  best  runner  in  the  School,  rather  than  that he  should  have  it  because  he  happens to be a  member of the nearest House ? I remain Sir, yours, HILLMORTON. P.S.   Should  my  letter  be  replied to  in  your columns, my opponent must not be sur­ prised if he has  to wait for an  answer, as it  is  several  day’s  post  from  Rugby  to  my  home. To  the Editor of the Meteor. Sik,— All  the  School  write  to  you  for  assistance  in  all  their  difficulties.   I  also  write to you, if perchance  you should  think  fit to publish this.   My grievance is that the  rule,  which  was  proposed  in  the  Easter  Term,  respecting  the  throwing  of the  ball  out  of touch, and which  was  tried  for  last  Term, haB been, allowed to drop into  insigni­ THE   METEOR. 11 ficance,  and  that  even  the  question  of  its  continuance is not mooted. , The  rule  simply  implied, “ that  the  hall,  when thrown out  of  touch, must not be run  with,  until  it  has  touched  the  ground.”  Wow, I wish to ask your enlightened readers,  at least, the football-playing portion of them,'  what was its irremediable  failing, which has  hurried  it  into  oblivion,  without  giving  it  another  chance.   When the rule  first came  into action at the Easter Big-Sides, it natural­ ly took a little time before it was fully realized  and understood.   Afterwards, however, when  it was understood, I must confess that I never  heard such  abuse  poured  upon it, as  would  justify  its  being  thrust  away,  by   the  unanimous, though silent, decree of Big-Side. Now  I  would  ask, what are  those objec­ tions  which have caused this good rule to be  abolished?   To  me  it  appears  to  be  a  thoroughly good one.   My reasons are,  that  it  prevents  that  old  nuisance  of  mauling  close to touch;  and that it gives more  scope  for skill  than  merely  by catching  the  ball,  and wasting time over useless wrangling. I  hope  in  your  next  number  to  see  a  thoroughly convincing letter from some foot­ ball  hero.   If  the  rule  should  be  brought  forward  again  and  carried,  you  will  have  been the means of eternally benefitting THE   SLOPE. To the Editor of the Meteor. Sir ,— It  must  be  plain to  all  that  some  measures  should be  taken  to ensure the  at­ tendance of Caps  at  “ Big-Sides,” the small­ ness  of which  last year  was  the subject  of  general  remark.   Is  there  no way in  which  this object may be  attained ?   An  absentee,  by  the  present  regulations,  ought  to  make  his excuse to the head of his side :  but as  he  is seldom the same two consecutive Big-Sides,  frequent absence passes un-noticed, and  con­ sequently the rule is of no  effect.   Our  sug­ gestion is, that since now there is a committee  devoted exclusively to Football, the power of  reproving or even, if  necessary, of  depriving  offenders of their caps, be  given to  it.   And  let this rule apply to Sixth and  School alike. Hoping  that  something  may  be  done  to  remedy this great evil, W e are, yours, etc., TRIO. To the Editor of the Meteor. Dear   Sir,—I see  that  the Sixth Match is  not  to  be  played  till  October 19th, a  week  later  than  usual  and a  fortnight later  than  first  Little-Side.   Why  this  change ?   Do  the Sixth wish to  deprive  themselves  of the  assistance of their Old Rugbeians,  and avoid,  by  an  immediate  defeat,  the  dangers  and  perils of a longer match ? The 19th,  the day  fixed for the  match, is  also the day on which  most  University  men  are obliged  to go  up, a proceeding  which is  hardly compatible with playing football.   Let  me also ask, why should the Football season,  always  found  too  short  to  play  out  all the  House Matches,  be curtailed  by a  week.   I  have  heard of  several  startling changes  at  Rugby lately, but surely this is  the least ex­ pedient of all. Yours truly, OLD  RUGBEIAN. To  the Editor of the Meteor. Dear    Sir ,— Many  disputes  have  arisen  concerning touch line on  Little-Side and the  Dunchurch piece ;  would it not  be better to  have a touch line cut. Yours truly, BELOW   CAP. To the Editor of the Meteor. Dear   Sir,— Old customs are very desirable  to retain, but still a  change is often  refresh­ ing.   Why should not Punt-about sometimes  happen on the lower  side  of the  Pontines ?  If it were sometimes moved down, the grass  would  be  spared,  and  a  good  deal  of  dirt  avoided. Yours truly, NOVELTY. 11